24 Weeks!

• Baby's Sex: BOY!!
• Baby is as big as: Eggplant (approx 9 inches, 1.7lbs)
• Cravings this week: Nothing really this week... 
• What's different this week than last week: Achy, grumpy, don't know if I'll survive 40 wks. My poor husband.  :)
• Weeks to go: 16 weeks
• Next Appt: Jan 7 (28 wks)
• Big Brothers: Jackson drew a picture yesterday of 2 boys and a Christmas tree... when I asked him who the boys were he said it was him and Jr.  :)  Made me happy!
• Notes:  Had 24 wk doc appointment on Thursday - my "glucose" test - won't know good or bad on that until Monday and even then, they said "no news is good news..." so here's hoping for no news! Doc said all looks well with measurement and heartbeat. Doc also said I need to be exercising every single day.  He's never told me that before - but he said he read something recently that talked about the importance of pregnant women exercising 150 minutes per week!  I am taking this as an excuse to force myself to workout... so we made a route around the neighborhood... Takes me a little over 20 minutes and GPS says it's 1.3 miles... and I'm usually pulling both boys in the wagon.  I'm going to commit to doing this anytime the weather is over 50 degrees outside (and my boys aren't sick) and if I don't do that, I'll do my prenatal workout DVD.  I am hopeful that maybe this will make it easier for me to bounce back into shape after baby arrives.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Today is the love-of-my-life's birthday.  His 33rd birthday... 

He is an incredible father and husband, and I'm glad he's ours!! :-)

Wild Animal Safari!

So on our way home from Milwaukee, we decided to make a little stop at this safari we always see big billboards for but never want to drive all the way out for... (it's over an hour and half from our house...).  The boys were restless after driving so long and we thought this may be a great way to stretch our legs and see some fun animals!  We opted out of the drive-through part because we wanted to get home but we did spend about 30-45 minutes checking out all the awesome animals - and this particular place had feeding stations set up at every animal's cage so you can feed them!  The tigers were the coolest to watch.  There were 4 MASSIVE tigers and for $5 you could feed them these big chunks of raw chicken.  Two families were already lined up to do it so we got to watch these huge beasts fight, literally, for the meat.  I was so grateful for that big ol' cage between us!  The boys were fascinated too.  But we all agreed the coolest was the giraffe - which could bend down and take food right out of your hand (and he did mine!).  That was the coolest!  We're all really glad we made this stop!

 Ryan got up close and personal with this emu! 

Thanksgiving in Milwaukee

This year, we drove to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving.  At this time, Ryan's mom AND dad both live there, so we got to see lots of family while there. It was a long drive (12 hours) but when we got there, we felt much better.  Unfortunately, I didn't take that many pictures like I normally do.  And as we have learned, if I don't take them, or insist on Ryan taking one of me, they don't get taken.  Fortunately, my sister-in-law took tons and has agreed to share them with me!  So I will get some more pictures soon.. 

For now, this is all I managed to get.... 

The highlight of my whole trip was meeting my brand new nephew Anthony.  He is absolutely perfect! I feel so excited to be an aunt!  I wish we lived closer to this precious little man because I just didn't want to set him down!  Ethan was crazy about him too - he's just the sweetest thing!  Jackson really enjoyed "teaching" him but I think as he gets bigger, he'll be more fun to J. 

I love this picture because I love the look Anthony is giving Jackson... 

like "dude... seriously?" ha!!

Ethan wanted to lay down with Anthony and be with him anywhere he was... It was quite surprising and so cute!

Jackson and Uncle Barry being silly!!

Did I mention how much I love this little guy!?

 

Some photos I got with my phone:

Jackson's toy from Grandma Carol and Ethan managing to get his arm out of the seatbelt.

On the morning we left to come home, we couldn't get Ethan to wake up.  It was 430am so he was probably in a great sleep state, but I couldn't believe how OUT he was.

 

23 Weeks!

• Baby's Sex: BOY!!
• Baby is as big as: Ear of Corn (approx 8.5 inches, 1.5lbs)
• At last measurement: As of last appt, baby is measuring 5 days ahead.
• Cravings this week: Sweets.
• What's different this week than last week: Last week (22 wks) I didn't blog because we were in Milwaukee... I'm happy to be off the traveling front - It was quite exhausting with my big ol' belly.  This week, I've been a bit of a grump.  I feel really huge and day-to-day tasks are already such a burden on me.  I have to stand up slowly, sit down slowly and can't do either for very long without feeling the ache.  I've talked to a few other moms of 3, and they agreed that they went through these exact pains (in the same places) that I'm going thru... apparently, our muscles are just very very weak because they've been stretched too many times.  How did Michelle Dugger do this so many times?
• Weight Gain: This question= depressing.  Time for removal.
• Weeks to go: 17 weeks
• Next Appt: December 6 (24 wks!)
• Big Brothers: Last week, the boys got to meet their brand new baby cousin Anthony.  And while he lit up all our lives, he made a special impact on Ethan.  I was fully prepared for Jackson to be the interested brother in the new baby, but boy was I backward!  Jackson showed almost no interest - just way too busy trying to convince everyone in sight to play with him.  Ethan, however, was REALLY excited about Anthony.  He laid and chatted to him and pretty much wanted to be sitting with him the whole time he was there.  I couldn't believe how kind and gentle he was with the baby... Really warmed my heart and put me a bit more at ease with bringing a newborn around my rambunctious boys.  When we got home, Ethan went into his "old" room and pointed to the crib and said "Baby Anthony bed."  I tried to say no - that it was his new baby brother's bed, but he is very adamant that that crib is Anthony's crib.  :)  I love that he loves his new cousin, almost as much as I do!
• Notes:  I'm really really excited about getting into shape after this baby.  I know I did this last time too ... It's just tough looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing a totally different looking person staring back at you.  I already have my first half marathon on the calendar for March 2014 - one year after baby.... which will hopefully give me enough time to train slowly and not hurt myself.  I tend to push myself too much too fast after giving birth.  I'll try to do it smart this time.  I am also investing in Jillian Michaels' DVD's and then, do the 60 day Insanity workout again.  After that, I should be ready for some hard core running training program.  It feels like 17 weeks is the longest wait ever.  I'm ready to feel normal again!

Future Builder?

21 Weeks!

21 Weeks!!

• Baby's Sex: STILL A BOY!!
• Baby is as big as: Summer Squash!
• At last measurement: As of today's appt, baby is measuring 5 days ahead.
• Cravings this week: Coke
• What's different this week than last week: Finally feeling some steady kicks!  He's really chill.  Also, I had an allergic reaction (to something?) this week and had to force myself to take some Benadryl to stop a week of non-stop itching.  So glad to have some relief on that front!
  
• Weight Gain: 20 pounds. (I think I need to take off this question.  This is starting to get embarrassing!)
• Weeks to go: 19 weeks
• Next Appt: December 6 (24 wks!)
• Big Brothers: Still stinkers.
• Notes: At today's appointment, doc said baby is looking great!  He is measuring ok in everything and developing well.  I also had a flu shot today.  It was really cool to get to watch our baby boy squirm around on the ultrasound - although not too much... he's really relaxed in there.  He is laying head up for now and sideways but kicking his feet a little here and there.  The side profile of him reminded me so much of Ethan's.  I just can't wait to meet this sweet baby boy!

Park Date!

Last week, several of us met at the park to play - it was SUCH a beautiful day and the kids had such a blast... as well as the mommys!  

Thank you Emily for these awesome pictures!

 How cute are these boys!?

Happy Halloween, 2012!

Halloween has never been my favorite holiday.  Quite frankly, I used to really hate it.  But having kids has softened my attitude about Halloween a lot.  Jackson counts down til Halloween as if it were Christmas.  He just loves it.  This year is the 2nd year I let him pick his costume.  He originally told me Batman, then Spiderman.. So I bought a Spiderman costume because he was "sure" he wanted to be Spiderman.  Then, he must have thought about it and said "mommy, since I'm Spiderman this year, can I be Wolverine next year?"  Poor boy - he had changed his mind but didn't want to ask me to let him be Wolverine this year because he knew I bought the costume already.  So, I surprised him and bought the Wolverine costume and Ethan was Spiderman.  :)  (Next year, Ethan can decide on his own costume).  Jackson couldn't have been more excited.  He especially loved the claws, even though they made it more difficult to reach in and grab candy.  Ha.  Our neighborhood gang has grown quite a bit.. I bet we were a sight coming down the street together!  It was so much fun!

Before our big neighborhood treat or treatin, we went to visit Mimi at her work!

 Right before we left...

 Jackson and Eden/Ben!

 Our youngest little ones.. sweet baby Eli and Noel!

 Ethan trick or treated a little bit but mostly was content to sit in the wagon and eat candy!

  

The gang - how ADORABLE are they!?

 The next morning, Jackson organized his loot.  He was quite particular, going through each piece of candy one-by-one and sorting them perfectly.  If they didn't match perfectly (ie: mini snickers vs reg snickers), they couldn't be matched together.  I found this very amusing imagining I did the same thing as a child... :-)

Naughty turned Nice.

So since I really do try to make my blog an accurate picture of our lives, I have to share the bad with the good.  Shortly after I posted about Jackson behaving so well at school (almost a month ago), he had 2 "bad behavior" days and then the worst - At awanas, he got mad at the teacher and hit her.  :(  Not his best decision, obviously.  Ryan and I didn't know where this sudden naughtiness came from, but we took swift action.  Spankings and time-outs only last a short while and don't leave a lasting impression on my smart boy.  So we opted to take any and all super hero things away until he had 5 days in a row of "green lights" or better (meaning, good behavior at school.).  So we took all the toys, shirts, underwear, socks away.  We allowed books only.  He was absolutely devastated.  He did, however, accept his punishment and came home 5 school days in a row (and every day since) on green lights or better.  But that didn't fix this mommy's mind yet.  We needed to really apologize to his Awanas teacher, but how can a 4 year old do that?  We opted to write a card to her.  So here it is.  I'm proud of my boy and his lessons learned.  :)

 This picture is a self portrait, he tells me and the heart means "I love her."